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גלייב

Believe

Work 285 of 440

Page 342. 'Gleyb' (Believe): words are 'vi milshteyner' (like millstones) grinding hearts to dust. Addressed to 'fraynt mayner, mir nisht basherteh' (my friend, not destined for me) — the distant friend again. Not everyone gets 'tsu oyfshtrayln eynmol in lebn' (to shine once in life). In a rare moment, like to a besieged land, one should throw to the other's camp. Make 'dos lid fun tsesheydung... groys' (the song of separation great)! 'Aza nakht' (Such a Night): until dawn, 'in shpil mitn toyt' (in play with death). Purpose: 'mentshn tsu rufn / mit mentshn tsu zayn' (to call people, to be with people), specifically 'dikh tsu derrufn / mit dir tsu zayn' (to reach you, to be with you). The friend should come seeking and 'mikh oyf eybik gevinen' (win me forever). The speaker becomes 'erd / geknoten fun eyn shtik' (earth kneaded from one piece) — clay shaped by the beloved, 'vos tsu dir nor gehert' (that belongs only to you).

Yiddish Original

גלייב

ווי מילשטיינער — אונדזערע ווערטער

צעמאָלן דאָס האַרץ אונדז אויף שטויב:

אָ פֿרײַנט מײַנער, מיר נישט באַשערטער,

אין אונדזער באַשערטקייט דאָך גלייב.

ניט יעטווידן מענטש איז געגעבן

אַזאַ נישט געוויינלעכער גליק —

צו אויפֿשטראַלן איינמאָל אין לעבן,

און מער זיך נישט ווײַזן צוריק.

און גאָר אין אַ זעלטענער רגע:

ווי צו אַ באַלאַגערטן לאַנד,

זאָל איינער צום צווייטנס געלעגער

אַ וואָרף טאָן זײַן שווערדיקע האַנט.

אַ קאָפּ זאָל אַ פֿלאָם טאָן אין רויטן,

אַ לײַב זאָל אַ בלענד טאָן, און — אויס;

אָ פֿרײַנט מײַנער, זינג צום צעשיידטן,

דאָס ליד פֿון צעשיידונג מאַך גרויס!

אַזאַ נאַכט

אַזאַ נאַכט, ביז באַגינען —

אין שפּיל מיטן טויט,

מיטן אייגענעם זינען:

מענטשן צו רופֿן,

מיט מענטשן צו זײַן:

דיך צו דעררופֿן,

מיט דיר צו זײַן:

זאָלסט קומען מיך זוכן,

און מיך אויף אייביק געווינען —

עס נעמט מיך דורך גליק,

איך ווער ערד,

געקנאָטן פֿון איין שטיק,

וואָס צו דיר נאָר געהערט.

Transliteration

Gleyb

Vi milshteyner — undzere verter

tsemoln dos harts undz oyf shtoyb:

o fraynt mayner, mir nisht basherte,

in undzer bashertkayt dokh gleyb.

Nit yetvid mentsh iz gegebn

aza nisht geveynlekher glik —

tsu oyfshtrayln eynmol in lebn,

un mer zikh nit vayzn tsurik.

Un gor in a zeltener rege:

vi tsu a balagerten land,

zol eyner tsum tsveytn geleger

a vorf ton zayn shverdike hant.

A kop zol a flom ton in roytn,

a layb zol a blend ton, un — oys;

o fraynt mayner, zing tsum tsesheydn,

dos lid fun tsesheydung makh groys!

Aza nakht

Aza nakht, biz baginen —

in shpil mitn toyt,

mitn eygenem zinen:

mentshn tsu rufn,

mit mentshn tsu zayn:

dikh tsu derrufn,

mit dir tsu zayn:

zolst kumen mikh zukhn,

un mikh oyf eybik gevinen —

es nemt mikh durkh glik,

ikh ver erd,

geknoten fun eyn shtik,

vos tsu dir nor gehert.

English Translation

Believe

Like millstones — our words

grind our heart to dust:

oh my friend, not destined for me,

in our destiny still believe.

Not every person is given

such an unusual happiness —

to shine once in life,

and never show oneself again.

And just in a rare moment:

like to a besieged land,

should one throw to the other's camp

his heavy hand.

A head should flame up in red,

a body should flash, and — done;

oh my friend, sing to the parting,

make great the song of separation!

Such a Night

Such a night, until dawn —

in play with death,

with one's own senses:

to call people,

to be with people:

to reach you,

to be with you:

you should come to seek me,

and win me forever —

happiness takes me over,

I become earth,

kneaded from one piece,

that belongs only to you.

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE

Page 342. 'Gleyb' (Believe): words are 'vi milshteyner' (like millstones) grinding hearts to dust. Addressed to 'fraynt mayner, mir nisht basherteh' (my friend, not destined for me) — the distant friend again. Not everyone gets 'tsu oyfshtrayln eynmol in lebn' (to shine once in life). In a rare moment, like to a besieged land, one should throw to the other's camp. Make 'dos lid fun tsesheydung... groys' (the song of separation great)! 'Aza nakht' (Such a Night): until dawn, 'in shpil mitn toyt' (in play with death). Purpose: 'mentshn tsu rufn / mit mentshn tsu zayn' (to call people, to be with people), specifically 'dikh tsu derrufn / mit dir tsu zayn' (to reach you, to be with you). The friend should come seeking and 'mikh oyf eybik gevinen' (win me forever). The speaker becomes 'erd / geknoten fun eyn shtik' (earth kneaded from one piece) — clay shaped by the beloved, 'vos tsu dir nor gehert' (that belongs only to you).

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Believe · H. Leivick: Complete Works · Half-Voll Attempts